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Round up: A look
at inpatient psychiatry
in New England
CONNECTICUT
(May
2005 Issue)
The Department of Mental Health and Addiction Services (DMHAS)
reports that state-operated bed capacity has stayed consistent throughout
the past year. The only real change, according to senior policy
advisor James Siemianowski, LICSW, has been the conversion of 16
beds from respite to acute psychiatric inpatient beds at Capitol
Region Community Mental Health Center in Hartford.
"This has provided us with an additional 16 beds within the state-operated
system," he says.
In addition, the state has contracted with several community hospitals
throughout Connecticut for 25 psychiatric beds to service both
acute and intermediate care needs. The goal, Siemianowski explains,
is to increase the number of beds available in the state's larger
urban areas.
For the most part, DMHAS has not directed its energies to increasing
inpatient capacity, which it feels is meeting current needs. Instead,
the department is working toward enhancing community-based programs
and services to develop its "recovery-oriented" system of care.
"Our focus is really on the community and on trying to take a more
holistic approach to people," says Siemianowski. "We are looking
at ways to more fully support these people with housing, links to
faith communities, social and employment opportunities. We are tying
to more fully integrate people into the life of the community."
Toward that end, DMHAS continues to work on several initiatives
including a new one called "Access to Recovery." Funded by the federal
Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, the program has a total of
$22.5 million to be used over the course of a three-year period
to improve access to the state's substance abuse programs.
Other programs include the "Lessons Learned" initiative, to share
knowledge gleaned from the various treatment programs across the
state; "Health Disparities" initiative, a "Cultural Competency"
initiative, a "Trauma" initiative; a "Faith" initiative; a "HIPAA"
initiative and more. The department's "Recovery" initiative, seen
as its overarching theme for all the work they do, is designed to
integrate the various recovery-oriented programs that the department
has created.
For more information on these initiatives and the department's
specific plans, visit www.dmhas.state.ct.us.
Catherine Robertson Souter
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